Bruce Whatley is new Mr. Guyana, dethrones 4-time winner Kerwyn Clarke

Aug 08, 2017 Sports, http://www.kaieteurnewsonline....inner-kerwyn-clarke/

By Franklin Wilson

Guyana has a new king of the bodybuilding stage, he is USA based Bruce Whatley who dethroned Kerwyn Clarke who was seeking his fifth consecutive Mr. Guyana crown but was stopped by the chiseled and well defined Whatley.
Competing under the Buddy’s Gym banner, this was Whatley’s first ever Mr. Guyana title and he accomplished the feat in style by whipping his former student, Clarke. It was obvious to the sold out audience at the Marriott Hotel on Sunday night that the battle for the most prestigious title in the bodybuilding arena would have been between Whatley and Clarke after the duo won the respective heavyweight and middleweight categories earlier in the night.
Clarke had to stave off the stiffest challenge of the night to gain the judges nod which allowed him victory in the middleweight division. The Space Gym athlete did enough to flex past the crowd pleasing challenges that were presented by fellow middleweights and rivals, Godfrey Stoby, Sylvester Andrews and 2017 Novice Overall winner, Nolan Smith.
While the fans vented their displeasure when the winner of the middleweight class was announced, the judge’s had already spoken; as they had their work cut out in what was a very close contest that had the fans calling on their favourite during the compulsory poses.
Whatley had a much easier task in getting past Fitness 53’s Rhon Lonke and Space Gym’s Tremol King in the clash of the heavyweights.
The other finalists in the Mr. Guyana contest were Marlon Bennett (Fitness 53) who had won the Masters Open as well as the lightweight categories; he upstaged a former Mr. Guyana, Lindie Sharpe and two others in being the top Masters competitor.
His win in the lightweight class over Space Gym’s Ebo Orford and Donald Lindie of Total Fitness was not a crowd pleasing decision as many felt Orford had done enough to take the win.
Ruling the roost in the bantamweight division was another Buddy’s Gym athlete, Dwayne Chung in a five-way battle, while Caerus Cipriani (Life Gym), who was not daunted by the fact that he only earned a 4th place finish in the hot Men’s Physique contest, returned moments later to beat Odel Crum-E-Wing to take the welterweight title.
There was a new king crowned in the Mr. Guyana Open Men’s Physique showdown. Yannick Grimes (Buddy’s Gym) gained sweet revenge over Fitness 53’s Emmerson Campbell who had got the better of him for the past two years.
However, Grimes was not in a mood to be second best for a third year and it was evident that he had done a tremendous amount of work over the past weeks which allowed him to topple his fierce rival.
Campbell had to settle for the third place behind fellow gym mate Lancelot Gordon. The judges had to have a closer look (comparison) at the top three in the five-way battle.
The lone female that graced the stage on Sunday night was the indefatigable and multi talented Alisha Fortune who took the Ms Body Fitness title.
The sponsors of the event were Ghandi’s General Store, Fitness Express, Atlantic Mining, Ministry of Culture Youth and Sports, World of Flowers and Chung’s Global Enterprise, Windjammer International Hotel and Cuisine, Safe Sol Restaurant, Star Party Rentals, Gizmos and Gadgets, Aruwai Resort, I Ride Guyana, Gem Magazine, Space Gym, and L. Seepersaud Jewelry.